My new favorite way to get stuff loud ...

[worldwideweapon]

Seems that my overshoots came from using the oversampling.. Works perfect without it..

 

[Sloan]

Sloan: nope, it's different.

As you describe it you use one or two light clipping instances and then you limit.

What I'm describing is one clipper (Pro-L) at the end of your chain instead of a limiter. Then you drive the audio into the clipper really hard.

Using Pro-L that way, I found I could get more volume without clipping artefacts. G-Clip always starts sounding distorted to me really quickly. That's why I never liked using it. I also don't like clipping drum tracks.

So Pro-L keeps any stray shit from hitting 0db?

I like to clip off high transients before the comp/limit so that the comp/limit doesn't have a chance to pump due to picking up on some of the transient, makes stuff feel a bit more solid to me. I feel it emulates sending out to some tape/adda shit to kinda even it out before hitting the dynamic control.

oh wait, i looked it up, pro-l is a limiter anyway. i thought you were ditching any kind of limiting and just clipping

 

[smy1]

Sloan: Pro-L is a Limiter that has a clipping mode. Basically what I do is I push the audio hard into the clipping mode of Pro-L and it results in a lot more volume without distortion than I can get from G-Clip.

 

[Spectivum]

The trick is now to use the Pro-L as if you were clipping A/D converters by driving the signal up with the output of the Duende and watching the RMS meter of the Pro-L.

Hi,
if I understand correctly you use 0 input gain on the clipper and additional makeup gain on the compressor? is there a difference where you add the gain?
thanks

 

[bassguy]

Just tried this, I could easily get up to -5 RMS, which is beyond overkill. Thanks so much for sharing your chain.

Pro-L works wonders, too bad I'm only using the demo time to save up and buy it I guess haha


Off Topic: Would I be right in assuming by your sig that you are Faderhead smy1? Surprised to see you posting on a metal forum but it's certainly a good thing, I've always thought Faderhead had some of the best productions in the ebm/electro industrial scene

 

[schwinginbatman]

I wonder if this would work with a different assorment of plugins. It's a really cool idea, and if I can get mixes to be balls loud without clipping to Hell and back, everything will be OK.

 

[ashgallows]

just wondering, i was trying this out today subbing in with analog channel 2 as the tape sim, compressor bank 4 as the compressor, n series e.q. and t-racks classic clipper at the end. you talk about having everything peak at 0 but it's clipping all my plugins pretty bad, there are artifacts and the loudness is no where near -8. Is it a case of translation where -18 is really 0 db in PT or is it a case where it only works with this particular plugin chain?

 

[smy1]

bassguy: glad you like the Faderhead stuff. I've grown up with Pantera, Slayer, Megadeth, Stuck Mojo, Metallica, etc. - EBM/Industrial was more of a coincidence, really.

schwinginbatman: the only plugin that really matters for this seems to be the Pro-L. Of course the other saturators/compressors shave a few db off of some peaks, but in general I assume it'll still work with just a Pro-L in the mix bus.

ashgallows: I am talking about 0dbVU in Satson, which is -18dbFS.

 

[ashgallows]

good stuff, it really preserves the feel song. one more thing, would you not drive the pro-l or clipper with the eq or pro-q in this case rather than the compressor as to not clip the eq? I dig the process, just trying to figure out why i'm still pulling -12 rms.

 

[smy1]

ashgallows: I don't know. I just used the compressor because it had the most obvious output gain knob. Yea, I'm simple like that.

And you are probably having problems getting loud because your mix has balance/frequency problems. The "better" my mixes got over the years, the easier it became to get them loud.

 

[schwinginbatman]

Also, what levels are your mixes hanging at before this?

EDIT: One more question, does your interface say it's clipping? I'm just wondering, because I'm trying it out with FerricTDS instead of Satson and Voxengo (or do I need to use different plugins?) and it clips pretty fast. I'm sure the frequency range has a decent bit to do with it too.

 

[AndrewB]

So what does the Pro-L do that any other clipper/limiter doesn't/can't? It seems like driving any signal into a limiter or clipper hard enough will result in audible overcompression or clipping.

 

[ashgallows]

i have a club track peaking at -2 and rms at -14. i also tried it out on a metal track with just the rythmn section (no guitars or vox) peaking -16, rms -30. I read on the forum that keeping the tracks around -18 ish helps with your mix and so far it has, just doesnt seem to get the same results with this method.

 

[smy1]

I really can't help all you guys with your questions. I'm more of an intuitive, "ear"-type mixer. I just wanted to share a method that worked for me, but I can't tell you why it works or doesn't work. Sorry!

 

[schwinginbatman]

Yeah, it seems pretty decent. I tried the clipping option in Ozone too, and TBH, so far the Ozone option has worked better. Maybe if I had all the plugins mentioned it'd work better, but for right now I got Ozone up to -6RMS without clipping.

 

[Etrium]

I tried your method and this is what I get
http://soundcloud.com/etrium/metalmix-1

 

[smy1]

Etrium: how loud is that? It sound quite good on my iMac! The track is nice too!

 

[dkTempo]

Right, maybe I'll understand this if someone can describe what it means to put something "at 1 or 2 db GR" or "at 1-4db GR", mainly steps 3) and 4).

Also, Duende Stereo Compressor, you're using the make-up gain as the output knob?